Long leaf pine

Rich and I took a lovely walk in Halyburton Park in the heart of Wilmington. It's a wonderful place for a bike ride, walk or picnic. It has several miles of trails, which are part of the Cross-City system.
We came across this lovely, pint-sized Long Leaf Pine. (They grow to be very, very tall)
These trees are an important part of the Cape Fear area's history. During the pre-American Revolution times an entire industry was built around the production of "naval stores" which is tar, turpentine and pitch, all of which were made from the long leaf pine. The "stores" were used to keep British ships in good repair. I have included a link that describes the impact of navel stores on the Cape Fear if you' re interested.

Cape Fear's history with Long Leaf Pines